Great Trains Journeys of the World

Great Trains Journeys of the World

Article excerpt

Byline: Corey Bertalli Manager Grafton Travel

TRAINS, as you are aware, have been around for more than a century, but in the last few years their popularity has increased as a holiday experience. We have had many inquiries about train journeys that clients would like to do as part of their holiday, not just as a mode of transport. The good thing about train journeys these days is that you can incorporate them into any section of your holiday. With this new-found demand I've listed a few of the great rail journeys that are available to travel on.

The Rocky Mountaineer

The Rocky Mountaineer operates four different journeys through the Canadian Rockies. The first passage it started back in 1990 and the one you see in most of the brochures is the journey that takes you from Calgary to Vancouver.

The Rocky Mountaineer will transport you across some engineering masterpieces -- the 500-foot span of Stony Creek Bridge and the world-famous Spiral Tunnels carved out by 1000 workers and that took almost two years to build. The landscape of snowcapped mountains, lakes and rivers will leave you in awe.

All of the scenery can be viewed from a specially designed glass-domed coach which is available to the GoldLeaf service on the passenger train. The coach enables you to sit in your seat and enjoy a panoramic view of the Rockies. And when hungry you can walk down to the next level to the dining area and enjoy a la carte meals prepared by one of the chefs on board.

The Rocky Mountaineer stops in Kamloops overnight. Kamloops is a small town which at one stage was the gateway to the interior of British Columbia, the last outpost you might say. The overnight stop gives you a chance to wander around the town and take in one of the shows that is offered in the town. You wake up next morning early, jump back on the Rocky Mountaineer and continue your journey.

The Rocky Mountaineer operates in both directions between Calgary and Vancouver. It starts in April and finishes in October.

The Andean Explorer

This journey is from Cusco in Peru to Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Starting at an altitude of 3354m and climbing up to 4335m makes this one of the highest rail journeys in the world.

The journey is one of the most beautiful in the world, with the trip lasting 10-and-a half hours. At the start of the journey, passengers are welcomed at the Wanchaq Station (Cusco) or the Puno Station, where local musicians will provide background music as you board the train. Once aboard, you can enjoy the two dining cars decorated in the style of the Pullman cars of the 1920s.

During the trip, the lunch offered is one of the finest in gourmet meals. The Andean Explorer is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. The Andean Explorer was created to provide passengers with all the luxuries they could want on a trip while offering them a chance to forge a mystical connection with nature. …